The Bossier banner., 1887-10-20

accident connects with what vest result!
Sir Robert Peel, from pattern he drew
on the back of pewter dinnor-plats, got
suggestions of that which led to the
important invention by which calico is
printed.
Nothing in Gods universe swings at
loose ends. Accidents are only Gods wav
of turning leaf in the book of his eternal
DEGREES. From our cradle to our grave
there is path all marked out. Each
event in our life is connected with every
other event in our life. Our loss may
be the most direct road to our
gain. Our defeats and victories are twin
brothers. The whole direction of your lite
was changed by something which at the
time seemed to you trffie, while some oc.
currence which seemed tremendous affect
ed you but little. Rev. DIR. Kennedy, of
Basking Ridge, N. j., went into his pulpit
one Sabbath and by strange freak of
memory forgot his subject and forgot his
text, and in great embarrassment rose be-
fore his audience and announced the cir
cumstance and declared himself entirely
unable to preach; then launched forth in
few earnest words of entreaty and warn
ing which resulted in the outbreaking of
the mightiest revival of religion ever
known in that State, revival of religion
that resulted in churches still stand
ing and in the conversion Of
large number of men who entered
the Gospel ministry who have brought
their thousands into the kingdom of God.
Gods plans are magnificent beyond all
comprehension. He molds us, turns and
directs US, and we know it not. Thou
sands of years are to him but as the flight
of shuttle. The most terrific occurrence
does not make God tremble, and the most
triumphant achievement does not lift him
into rapture. That one great thought of
God goes on through the centuries, and
nations rise and fall, and eras pass, and
the world itself changes, but God still
keeps the undivided mastery, linking event
to event and century to century. To God
they are all one event, one history, one plan,
one development, one system. Great and
marvellous are thy works, Lord God Al
mighty.
Furthermore, we learn from this story
the propriety of laying up for the future
During seven years Of plenty Joseph pre-.
pared for the famine, and when it came
he had crowded storehouse. The life OF
most men in a worldly respect is divided
into years of plenty and famine. 1t is
seldom that any man passes through life
without at least seven years of plenty.
During these seven prosperous wears your
business bears rich harvest. You hardly
know where all the money comes from, il
comes so fast. Every bargain you make
seems to turn into gold. You contract
few bad debts. You are astonished with
large dividends. You invest more and
more capital. You wonder how men can
be content with a small business
gathering in only hundred
dollars where you reap your
thousands. These are the seven years of
plenty. Now, Joseph, is the time to pre-
pare for famine, for to almost every man
there do come seven years of famine.
You will be sick; you will be unfortunate;
you will be defrauded; you will be disap-
pointed; you will be old, and If you have
no storehouse upon which to fall back you
may be famine-struck.
We have no admiration for this DENYING
ones self of all present comfort and luxury
for the mere pleasure of boarding up, this
grasping for the mere pleasure of seeing
how large pile you can get; this always
being poor and cramped, because as soon
as a dollar comes in it Is sent out to see if
it can't find another dollar to carry
home on its back; but there is
an intelligent and undetermined FORE
cast which we love to see in men who
have families and kindred dependent up
on them for the blessings of education
and home. God sends us to the insects
for lesson, which, while they do not
stint themselves in the present, do not
forget their duty to forestall the future:
$50 to the ant, thou sluggard; consider
her ways and be wise, which, having no
guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her
meat in the summer and gathereth her
food in the harvest"
Now, there are two ways of laying up
money; the one by investing it in stock
and depositing it in the banks and loan.
ing it on bond and mortgage. The other
way of laying up money Is giving it
away. He is the safest who makes both
devotes none of his gain to the cause of
Christ and thinks only of his own
comfort and luxury, is not safe, 1 don't care
how his money is invested. He acted as
the rose, if it should say: 81 will hold nv
breath and no one shall have a snatch of
fragrance from me until next week, and
the aroma" The time comes, but having
been without fragrance for SO long, it has
nothing then to give.
But above all, lay up treasures in
Heaven. They never depreciate in value.
They never are at a discount They are
always available. You may feel safe now
with your present yearly income, but
what will such an income be worth
after you are dead9 Others
will get it. Perhaps some of them will
quarrel about it before you are buried.
They will be right glad you are dead.
They are only waiting for you to die.
What then will all your accumulations be
worth if you could gather it all into your
bosom and walk up with it to Heavens
gate? 1t would not purchase your ad-
mission; or, if allowed to enter, it could
not buy you a crown or robe, and the
poorest saint in Heaven would look down
and say: "Where did that pauper come
from?"
Finally, learn from this subject that in
every famine there is a storehouse. Up the
long row of buildings, piled to the very roof
with corn, come the hungry multitudes,
and Joseph commanded that their sacks
and their wagons be filled. The world has
been h1aStad Evarv croop tb;rr hos